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Cima Network’s Keith Denny Discusses Shop’s Pep Boys Partnership

Early sign-spec creation facilities production

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Keith Denny began his design education with three years of instruction from Bucks Co. Community College, Kutztown Univ. and the Hussian School of Art. His sign career commenced at Capital Electrical Adv. (Lansdale, PA), which later became Capital Manufacturing, where he became art director and worked for 18 years. After stints at DVS and East Coast Sign, he became design director and co-owner for Cima Network (Montgomeryville, PA), which he operates with Bill Lockett.

“I have to say I do miss the hands-on experience of designing with pencil and markers, tracing letters with an enlarger, and transferring an image to vellum,” Denny recalled. “I learned about design spacing, proportion and structure this way. I can’t imagine working without current technological capabilities, though.”

He believes automation has enhanced signs’ capabilities; he said, “Signs have become true works of art that exude a business’ personality as well as identify its name. Materials and construction have become much more sophisticated, and more textures, colors and patterns are available that integrate well with architecture.”

A large amount of Cima Network’s work involves servicing large companies. Auto-parts retailer Pep Boys is one of its most prominent clients. With such a customer, Denny said his work primarily involves devising early conceptual drawings using CorelDRAW X7 software that include the sign and its surrounding structures. Documentation of detailed square footage is essential to ensure both clients and municipal-code administrators are both well informed, he said. Cima’s work for Pep Boys requires that Denny interact with their project, construction and architectural managers. Pep Boys provides CAD drawings of a location’s construction plans, retrofit design or rebranding plan.

After performing comprehensive zoning and building-code reviews, Cima will complete the sign package. Early in its relationship with Pep Boys, Cima developed a “family” of signs that created standards for all future locations’ specs. Cima has completed more than 200 Pep Boys sign rebrands during the past five years. During 2015, Denny said Cima will complete 50 to 60 more.

“Rebranded locations are the most difficult to work because of their renovations,” he said. “We send a team to the sites to perform a survey, which involves installation, design and engineering teams collaborating to determine how to best position the signage to be effective while respecting structural integrity.”

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Confirming or creating electrical access for LED-sign wiring is another key facet. And, naturally, many retrofits involve removal of neon or fluorescent tubing, which involves removing transformers, tubing and other remnants and installing new façade covers that accommodate new tubing. For many retrofits, Cima designs fascia structures with Mitsubishi Plastics’ Alpolic composite material that’s installed over the stores’ existing canopies.
 

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